What are soft skills and why are they worth so much?

Soft skills they are behavioral skills, that is, personal attributes that you need to be successful in the workplace. In general, soft skills are related to your ability to interact with other people in the workplace. They also include your ability to work under pressure and adapt to new (and complex) situations.

What is the difference between hard skills and soft skills?

Unlike soft skills, hard skills are technical skills. Graduation in Administration, advanced English, knowledge of Office Package, domain of social media are some examples of hard skills. This type of competency is easier to assess with a test, for example.

However, many employers find it more difficult to train a person in behavioral competence than in technical competence. For this reason, selection processes often end up giving preference to candidates who have a good ability to relate to other people over those who have a higher level of English. The rule also applies when considering one or another professional for a job promotion.

How to develop soft skills?

Since soft skills are not technical, they are unlikely to be learned only in the classroom. To develop them, you first need to know yourself well, know what your strengths are and also the points you need to develop in order to evolve in your career. Below are the main steps to develop behavioral skills.

Seek self-knowledge

Seek self-knowledge to identify which soft skills you have and which you need to develop. Do you get along well with people at work? Do you know how to put your ideas in meetings? Do people hear when you speak? If you have trouble identifying these strengths and weaknesses, ask for help from people who work with you. They can help you identify what you do well and what you still need to improve.

Make small dips

Get out of your comfort zone. Do you need to work better as a team? Participate in projects where you will be challenged to do so. It is like immersing yourself in a language. The more you train, the better.

Participate in company training

Participate in training. If your company offers training in any competency that you need to develop, it is signaling that that competence is important to them. That is, participate whenever possible. Many invest in training that simulates games. They are fun and efficient.

Identify references

In your work – or even outside of it – look for people who are very good at the skills you want to develop. An incredible leader, someone who gets along with everyone, that person who always has something positive (and sensible) to talk about even in the most difficult moments. Observe how they do and learn from their behavior.

Ask for feedback

Whenever you are striving to improve behavioral competence, ask for feedback from those people who helped you identify your strengths and weaknesses. Ask them if they noticed any developments and if they can indicate more points that you can develop.

Examples of the most demanded soft skills in companies

Below are some of the soft skills most sought and valued by employers. And remember that developing these skills and including them in the curriculum and in presentation letter, in addition to emphasizing them during the interview, can increase your chances of being hired.

1. Communication

The ability to communicate, as we said, is important in almost every type of job. It is extremely useful for talking to customers, colleagues, bosses or suppliers, whether in person, by phone or email.

Good communication encompasses both the ability to express oneself and the ability to listen to what people say. Employers want employees who can not only communicate their own ideas, but also know listen to others with empathy.

In customer service jobs, for example, listening is a particularly important skill.

2. Critical thinking

No matter what the job, companies want candidates who can analyze a situation and make the best decision. Whether you’re working with data, teaching students, or repairing a home heating system, you need to understand problems, think critically, and find solutions.

3. Leadership

Although not all vacancies are leadership, most companies want to know if you already have the ability to manage situations and people. This competence is even more indispensable when you are looking for a position with potential for promotion. Naturally, the employer will want to know if you have what it takes to become a leader in the future. Leadership skills include the ability to resolve problems and conflicts between people and make executive decisions.

4. Positive attitude

Employers are always looking for someone who brings a positive attitude to the office. This means that they look for employees who are friendly with each other, eager to work, and generally nice people to have around.

5. Teamwork

Companies also look for candidates who can work well as a team. Whether you’re doing a lot of collaborative projects or just attending a few department meetings, you need to be able to work effectively with the people around you.

Some skills related to teamwork include the ability to negotiate with others and recognize and appreciate diversity in a team. Another related competence is the ability to accept and give feedback.

6. Work ethics

Employers also want candidates who work ethically. They understand that people with this characteristic tend to complete tasks on time, stay focused and organize. In addition, they are able to work independently as well as following instructions.

Teaching work ethics is a very complicated task, which is why companies tend to give preference to those who can demonstrate this competence during the selection process.

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